


Camping it up for the Dyed Blonde Receptionists

by brianmaybrianmay



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Brian is his patient, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I swear I have nothing against him in real life, M/M, Roger is the receptionist, Slow Burn, Tim is an asshole, john is a doctor, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 22:50:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17907170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brianmaybrianmay/pseuds/brianmaybrianmay
Summary: When Brian collapsed during a rehearsal and was diagnosed with hepatitis, he'd resigned himself to doctors visits for the foreseeable future. It was just lucky then that his best friend's boyfriend happened to be a doctor.What he hadn't expected was to be met at the reception by the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen.





	Camping it up for the Dyed Blonde Receptionists

"Hello? Earth to Brian, anyone in there?"

 

Brian snapped out of his daydream to Freddie clicking his fingers in his face, blinking for a moment to readjust himself to his surroundings before looking over at the other man, "What?" He asked, frowning slightly, to which Freddie pointed over at the door across the hall to see John coming towards them with a slight smile,

 

"Been calling you, Brian. Looks like you were in a world of your own"

 

"Sorry, yeah. Didn't hear you" Brian muttered, getting up from the plastic seat he'd been sat in. Okay so he might've been a little distracted but it was hardly his fault. Brian had collapsed during a rehearsal a couple of months ago and after he'd been rushed to the hospital - had been diagnosed with hepatitis. He'd finally been discharged from the hospital but was scheduled for regular doctors appointments, to keep up with his medication and for check ups. It had been handy then that Freddie's boyfriend John - who was also a close friend of Brian's - was a doctor whose practice wasn't too far from his and Freddie's flat.

 

Freddie had insisted on coming with him which was to be expected. What he hadn't expected though was to be met by the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen at the reception of the practice. When he'd stuttered through his sentence twice without actually getting to the point, the receptionist had laughed a short huff of breath and had taken pity on him, simply asking for his name before telling him to take a seat in the waiting area. Since then, Brian hadn't been able to keep his eyes off the blonde man sitting behind the desk.

 

"Fred, I told you last time that you can't come in, doctor patient confidentiality" John told him, although Brian could tell he didn't mind from the slight smile on the younger man's face. It was cute really, how hopelessly in love the two of them were - even if Brian was the slightest bit bitter about the whole thing. He just.. it'd be nice to have that for himself, his last relationship had been a bit of a shit show.

 

"Won't be long, Fred. Just wait here" He told him before following John into his office. He stayed quiet while John cleaned the inside of his elbow with an alcohol wipe and prepared the needle and bottles for his blood tests,

 

"Uh, John.. Just, ah.. who's the new receptionist? Didn't see him last time I was here" He shrugged, attempting his best nonchalant act, although he could see the way John's eyes flicked up to him for a second while he drew his blood, "Who, Blondie?" He asked, looking back to his task at Brian's nod, "His name is Roger. He's new, only started a month or so ago" He shrugged, turning to his computer to update Brian's chart once he had removed the strap from around Brian's bicep and put the bottles away. They sat in silence for a moment while John typed away before he shot a slight grin over at Brian,

 

"Blonde pretty things have always been your type though, haven't they?"

 

Brian could feel his face flood with colour at John's words and he scratched at the back of his neck for a second, "Well, I.. uh, that's not-"

 

"I'm joking, Brian. Relax" John told him with a smile, handing him his prescription once he had printed it off, "It's fine, he is pretty. Although don't tell Fred I said that" He said with a wink, and Brian could feel his face cooling down a little. He knew John was only joking, but still.. While he would usually just tell Freddie to fuck off, there was something about John that Brian felt he could confide in him, "He's.. not unattractive, I guess" He shrugged, keeping his eyes on his fingernail that he was picking at.

 

John smiled slightly once Brian finally met his eyes, wiping his hands on his trousers. He'd been there too when Brian's relationship with Tim had gone to shit, although - just like Fred - he had never thought Brian and Tim were good for each other, even though they had been in the old band together.

 

"Go on, go pick up your medication. I'm sure Fred is driving himself up the walls with boredom waiting for you out there" John told him with a smile, getting up to open the door for Brian.

 

"Yeah.. thanks John"

 

-x-

 

The next two times Brian was there for his appointments went in a similar fashion, although he managed to tell Roger who he was and what doctor he was there to see without stuttering over himself the next time he was there. The third time, Roger recognised him without having to introduce himself first.

 

The fourth time, Roger wasn't there. Brian tried not to be disappointed.

 

-x-

 

Yet again, Brian was sat in the waiting room of the practice, though a lot closer to the reception desk than he'd usually sit. There was a family with a young child who obviously wasn't well sitting where he'd usually be sitting, and as much as Brian sympathised with them, the headache he had at the moment made him not want to sit anywhere near a whimpery child. So he sat up closer to the front, although his eyes weren't on Roger for once.

 

John had called him just as he was leaving the flat and had told him he was running a little over with his time, so his appointment would be slightly delayed. Brian had been about to go back inside, but had figured he might as well head to the practice since he'd been ready to leave the house anyway. Besides, he had a big exam in active galaxies coming up that he couldn't afford to do badly in, and he had his books with him. So he figured he'd just study while he waited.

 

So it was there he found himself, absentmindedly chewing on the end of his pen while he read over a paragraph in the book.

 

"You shouldn't do that, y'know. You'll end up damaging your teeth"

 

Brian hardly registered the voice speaking, and didn't think at all that it was directed at him until a rolled up ball of paper hit him before rolling off under one of the seats, "Hey, Starman". He looked up from his book, startled, to see Roger looking at him over the desk, "I.. what?" He asked, glancing at the ball of paper again before looking back at Roger,

 

"Your teeth, you'll damage them by chewing on your pen like that" Roger explained again before giving him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, former dental student. Still bugs me when I see people putting things in their mouth" He said with a small smile, resting his chin on his fist as he looked over at Brian. Roger's words barely registered with Brian, he was focused more on the fact that Roger was willingly talking to him at all. That and the fact that his voice was as beautiful as the rest of him, slightly high pitched and girlish but with a husky undertone to it that sent a shiver up Brian's spine.

 

"Right.. uh, Starman?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. The nickname hadn't been lost on him, he just wondered where it came from, "The book, you're studying astrophysics, right? That has to do with stars. Plus, Bowie" He said, huffing out a breath of laughter, and Brian couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound, "Yeah, stars. I've an exam coming up and John called to say he'd be delayed anyway so.. figured I'd study a bit" He shrugged, although he was currently shoving the book back into his bag.

 

"What's the exam on?" Roger asked, "Active galaxies.. so like, the different types, supermassive black holes, photometry, gamma-ray bursts.. that kind of thing" He explained, smiling slightly at Roger's slightly blank look, "Well.. like I said, former dental student and now biology student, so I'm afraid I can't help you at all with that" He told him, meeting Brian's smile with one of his own.

 

"You're in here a lot, you and that other bloke with the long hair. You and him friends of Deaky?" Roger asked, and Brian nodded, "Yeah. Well Freddie and John are going out, Fred's my roommate, but I'm good friends with John too. He is my doctor though" He shrugged. In reality though, he wasn't sure how many more appointments he would have to come to. John had said once he had started getting a little better that he'd probably only have to come for a check up once every three months or so as he came off his medication. And according to John, he was already doing a lot better.

 

"Yeah, I guessed. You look pretty fr- oh, I think John's ready for you" Roger interrupted himself, nodding towards John's office where he had just opened his door and had waved Brian over. "Looks like it. It uh.. nice talking to you" He told Roger with a soft smile as he got up from his seat, trying to ignore the slight wave of giddiness that came over him when Roger winked at him in response, "Yeah, you too, Starman".

 

-x-

 

"I don't see why you won't just ask him out?" Freddie asked as he and Brian lounged in the small sitting room of their flat. Brian was still looking over his school notes while Freddie crossed out and wrote new lines of the song he was trying to come up with.

 

Brian scoffed a little, rolling his eyes before glancing up at Freddie, "I hardly know him, I've spoken to him once" He told him, leaning over to grab the sheet of paper Freddie was currently crossing a line out on yet again, "Literally all we know about each other is our names and our university degrees"

 

"Very true, and soon you're not going to need to be at that practice every week and then that's all you're ever going to know about him. Unless you start doing drastic things like throwing yourself down the stairs to get medical attention, in which case you won't get a chance to get to know him because I'll kill you myself. We need your perfect guitarist hands in working condition" He chuckled, and although Brian rolled his eyes, Freddie's words did ring a little too close to home.

 

Roger hadn't been there again the next time that Brian had been at the practice, and John had said that he was doing a lot better. He was probably only going to have to attend a couple more appointments before he was in perfect working order again, and then he'd have no excuse to see Roger without - as Freddie said - doing something dramatic.

 

Maybe he was a little bit screwed.

 

-x-

 

To say that he'd fucked up his exam would be putting it lightly.

 

He had known that he hadn't done as well as he could have on the actual day, but when he'd gotten his results an hour before his doctors appointment and had seen that he hadn't even been close to passing, it had definitely put a bit of dampener on his day. He had emailed his lecturer and had explained the situation, that he'd been distracted by his illness and the constant doctors visits, and thankfully his lecturer had agreed to let him resit the exam. Still though, he should've passed the first time around.

 

He knew that wasn't the only reason he'd failed though, he and Fred had been far too distracted with their songwriting which meant that Brian hadn't studied half as much as he should have. As well as that, they'd been trying to find a drummer and a bassist for their band - which took up a lot more time than he had expected. He and Freddie sounded fantastic together, his guitar skills complemented Freddie's voice perfectly, but Queen still wasn't complete with only two members. John played bass but was still insisting he was far too busy with his full time job to even consider joining a band. As for a drummer, they were stumped.

 

He hadn't realised he was so obviously in a bad mood while sat in the waiting room until Roger called him from across the room, before beckoning him over with a nod of his head when Brian caught his eye,

 

"D'you want a lollipop?"

 

Brian frowned at the question, glancing at the bowl of lollipops Roger was pointing at before looking back at the man in question,

 

"Uh.. why?" He asked, and Roger shrugged, "They're usually only for fussy kids, but you look like you could use one. What's wrong?" He asked, and Brian was surprised to find genuine concern in the blonde man's eyes. He sighed before answering, shrugging his shoulders a little, "That exam I had last time I was talking to you. I failed it, miserably at that. My lecturer agreed to let me resit because I explained that I spend half my time here, but still.. I shouldn't have failed it at all" He shrugged, picking at a fleck of loose paint on Roger's desk.

 

"Well like you said, you spend all your time here. Besides, could've just been a shitty exam. One bad test doesn't mean you've ruined everything. I knew my stuff when it came to dentistry but I don't test all that well, so on paper it looked like I was the worst student who'd ever attempted the course. Besides, you're doing astrophysics, you must be a genius to even attempt that course anyway" Roger told him, smiling up at Brian from where he was sat behind his desk, "You're clearly interested in it too, you talk so passionately about it. Even if I haven't a clue what it all means" He said with a shrug, and Brian could feel warmth blooming in his chest at Roger's grin. He had explained a little more about his course to Roger the last time he was here, and Roger had actually seemed interested in what he was saying, even if - like he'd just said - he had no idea what he'd been talking about.

 

He appreciated it, really. He and Roger barely knew each other, it didn't make a difference to Roger's life in the slightest if Brian failed his exam or if he was upset about it, and yet he was still trying to comfort him when he had no obligations whatsoever to do so. "Here, take two" He said with a smile, sliding two lollipops from the bowl across the desk to Brian, who pushed one of them back in Roger's direction, "I'll have one if you will" He told him, a slight grin lifting the corners of his lips when Roger didn't hesitate in tearing the wrapper off and putting the lollipop in his mouth.

 

-x-

 

"Right, well I got the results of your last blood tests back and you're doing well. You're probably okay to come off your medication too, judging by the looks of things. So I'll run one more round of tests but I can just phone you with the results rather than have you come back in. I'll book you in for a check up in about three months from now, that alright?" John asked with a smile, turning to face Brian.

 

Brian should've been happy, he knew that. Having to remember to take his medication could be a pain in the arse at times, plus he'd had to miss a class here and there to make a doctors appointment when John couldn't fit him in at any other time. But still.. the only time he ever spoke to Roger was when he was sitting in the waiting room, and it wasn't like he had any other means to contact him outside.

 

He knew this was what Freddie had been talking about, but he had figured it'd be fine. It really wasn't fine.

 

When he had first started coming in here, Roger had been just a pretty face to look at while he'd waited for John to call his name, but now... well he genuinely liked Roger as a person. He was funny and kind and always found a way to brighten Brian's spirits if he was in a bad mood, as well as being smart as a whip. Brian found himself falling a little further and further for the blonde man every time he visited the practice. He hadn't been able to find the courage to ask him out though - too afraid that Roger would laugh at him or reject him, or worse, that he would pity him and try to let him down easily. So, he just hadn't. Still, maybe Freddie was right. What excuse would he have to come back and see Roger if he had finished being John's patient for the time being.

 

Besides, if this was the last time he was here for the foreseeable future, he'd be able to go off and lick his wounds in private if Roger did turn him down without having to face him anytime soon. So with that, once he had thanked John and gotten up to let himself out of the office, he decided he would just ask him. There was no harm in simply asking if Roger wanted to meet for a drink some evening, it wasn't like he was going to get down on one knee and declare his never ending love for him.

 

When he went to the desk though, Roger wasn't there. He went up anyway, giving the woman who was sitting where Roger had been not ten minutes ago a small smile as he did, "Uh, hi. I was just in here a couple of minutes ago, is Roger still here?" He asked, and could feel himself deflating when she shook her head, "He's not, love. He just took off. His sister called, family emergency or something. I can leave him a message if you want though?" She asked and Brian nodded and shrugged, "I guess, yeah. I'm Brian, just um.. tell him I'm finished my appointments here, and it was nice getting to know him, I guess" He told her, chewing slightly on his lower lip.

 

Well if that wasn't a sign then he wasn't sure what was. Maybe it wasn't meant to be.

 

-x-

 

Brian was not moping. Most definitely not. No matter what Freddie tried to say.

 

-x-

 

"What do you want me to say, Fred?! It was an accident!" Brian growled up at the other man from where he was sat on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, holding his wrist. He knew Freddie had been teasing him saying that he was going to start throwing himself down the stairs as an excuse to go back and see Roger, but now he had actually tripped over one of Freddie's cats and had fallen down most of the stairs.

 

"I told you you weren't to start falling down the stairs, and for fuck sake at least try and protect your hands if you really had to!" Freddie snapped back, already on the phone to John to try and get Brian in to see him as soon as possible. It wasn't like Brian had deliberately thrown himself down the stairs, and he certainly hadn't been trying to damage his wrist - he still wanted to play his guitar - but it definitely felt it was sprained at least if not broken. Still, he couldn't help the feeling of butterflies in his stomach at the thought of seeing Roger again.

 

-x-

 

"Brian, you're back! Mary said you had finished your appointments last week when I was out, what happened?" Roger asked, looking from Brian's face to the sling around his wrist once he had finished talking,

 

"I uh, yeah. I thought I wouldn't have to be back but I tripped over Fred's cat coming down the stairs, sprained my wrist" He shrugged, holding up the aforementioned wrist as he spoke, "How're you, Mary said last week you had to go 'cause of a family emergency?"

 

"Oh yeah, all good. My sister's pregnant and she thought she was going into labour but it was a false alarm, all good" He explained with a smile, and the thought of Roger cradling a newborn baby, bouncing a toddler on his lap, had Brian's mouth running away before his brain caught up,

 

"Wouldyouliketohaveadrinkwithmesometime?"

 

He stuttered out, feeling his face heating up as Roger raised his eyebrows, "What was that?" He asked with a grin, and Brian swallowed, "Sorry.. I said, would you like to have a drink with me sometime? As in, some evening, at a pub?" He asked, and although he was slightly hopeful; he could sense what was coming when Roger bit his lip, avoiding his eyes for a moment,

 

"I'd love to, Brian. Really. But I have a boyfriend" He told him, and Brian could feel his face flood with colour again.

 

Roger looked genuinely sorry that he had to turn him down, but it didn't make the sting of rejection hurt any less, "His name's Tim. Maybe you've heard of him? He's in a band, Humpy Bong?" He asked, and Brian felt his blood run cold at the sound of his ex-boyfriend's name, "As in Tim Staffel?" He asked, and Roger nodded. He couldn't believe that Roger - kind, sweet, Roger - was dating the man who'd made Brian's life hell. Who'd had Brian crying himself to sleep on more than one occasion, who'd had Brian down to 119lbs at one point simply because of his words.

 

"Yeah, we uh.. we dated for a while actually. Few years back. It was still when he and I were in Smile together" He muttered, and Roger smiled, "Oh, yeah! He told me he used to date his old guitarist but I had no idea it was you" "Roger, he's not a good guy".

 

Roger frowned at Brian's words, looking up at him, "What do you mean?" He asked, and Brian sighed, "There's a reason me and him broke up, Rog. He's.. I thought he was my best friend and I fell in love with him, and he ruined my life at the time. He's cruel and manipulative and you don't deserve any of that. You deserve someone better than that, someone who-"

 

"Who, like you?" Roger asked, and Brian didn't have to look twice to see that his expression had closed off, "Because, no offence, but we hardly know each other. And I don't need you telling me who I should or shouldn't date, and I especially don't appreciate you talking about my boyfriend like that, no matter your history with him" He told him.

 

"Roger, it's not-" "I'd like you to leave, actually. If you're finished here" Roger told him, leaning back against the backrest of his seat, which Brian took as a sign that he wanted to be as far from him as he could possibly go while sitting down. "Right. I'll just.. bye Roger" He muttered, hitching his bag up a little further up his shoulder as he turned to leave. He glanced back over his shoulder for a second as he left, to see Roger staring resolutely down at his desk.

 

Well, that was that then.

 

-x-

 

Brian wasn't exactly sure how he found himself sitting in the back of the grimy little pub he currently found himself in, and from the look on Chrissie's face - neither could she. "I'm really sorry about this, Fred lead me to believe that this place was a little.. nicer" He tried to explain, tapping his fingers on the rim of the room temperature pint he was holding. 'It's this lovely little place called King's' Freddie had told him, 'Fit for a Queen like yourself'. What a load of bollocks. "It's okay. But I think we can both tell that your heart's not really in this, so why don't we just call it a night?" She suggested, giving Brian a small smile that assured him she wasn't upset.

 

Chrissie was a sweet girl really, and in any other life he might have enjoyed tonight and would want to see her again, but in reality? She was right, his heart wasn't in it.

 

He'd told Freddie what had happened with him and Roger, and Freddie had decided the best course of action would be to set him up on a blind date with a girl that John knew. He appreciated that his friends wanted to help him get over this latest heartbreak, but it was fine. It'd go away by itself eventually. It had been nearly a month since he'd last seen Roger anyway, long enough that he didn't even have to wear the sling on his sprained wrist anymore.

 

So he got Chrissie into a taxi after apologising for wasting her time and saying goodbye to her, before heading back into the pub. The night was still young, and Freddie was out with John tonight anyway so he'd only be going back to an empty flat full of cats if he called it a night already. "Chrissie was lovely but we called it quits, thanks for the effort though - Bri" He tapped out a quick message on his phone and sent it to Fred, glancing back at it when the screen lit up again, "Want me to come home?" The text simply read, and Brian ordered himself another pint before replying to it, "No it's fine, enjoy your night :) - Bri" He sent, before putting the phone in his pocket.

 

-x-

 

He stayed for another two pints by himself at the pub before deciding to leave after glancing up at the clock on the wall. It read shortly before midnight but last he could recall, the clock itself was about twenty minutes early, so he figured it wasn't too pathetic if he called it a night by now. Besides, the walk back to the flat was about twenty minutes in itself.

 

He hung his coat up after he'd let himself in, not bothering to lock the door behind him. Freddie still wasn't in and he tended to have trouble unlocking the door when he'd had a good few drinks on him. It was easier to just stay up until he was home and lock up himself. So with that thought in mind, he made himself a cup of tea and planted himself on the couch in the living room, flicking through the channels on the TV until he came across Love Actually, which had only started about fifteen minutes ago.

 

By the time the film was nearly over, he was lying length ways on the couch with one of the throws covering him, and he frowned when he heard the knocking on the front door. Fred knew he usually left the door unlocked for him so he tended to not even bother knocking, would just let himself straight in. Besides, it was only a few minutes after one in the morning - still early for Freddie's standards. So he got up and answered the door, raising his eyebrows when he saw that it wasn't actually his roommate who'd been knocking.

 

It was Roger.

 

It didn't register to him at all that he'd never told Roger his address, or that he was showing up out of the blue in the middle of the night, or that by his knowledge - Roger never wanted to see him again after what he'd said. He was too busy focusing on Roger's face.

 

More specifically the tear tracks on his cheeks and the start of what looked like would be a pretty impressive shiner of a black eye.

 

"Roger? What.. who did this to you?" He asked, and Roger shook his head, holding his arms around his torso, "Can.. can I come in? I texted John and got your address. I just, I wanted to see you" He mumbled, trying his best not to sound as though he was sniffling, and Brian could feel his heart breaking a little as he watched. "Of course, yeah. Come in" He told him, shutting the door after he'd brought Roger inside.

 

Once he'd sat him down on the couch, he took a moment to gather his thoughts by making Roger a cup of tea, sitting opposite him on the coffee table once he had brought it in to him, "Roger, what happened? Who did this?" He asked, frowning when Roger averted his eyes.

 

"Don't be mad at me.." He muttered, and he sounded so small and vulnerable that Brian couldn't help but lean forward, brushing Roger's blonde hair from his face with his fingertips. It wasn't lost on him how Roger flinched slightly at the action, as if he was expecting not as gentle a touch, "Hey, I couldn't ever be mad at you, okay? Just tell me what happened" He murmured.

 

"It was Tim. We had a stupid fight and it just.. I don't know, it escalated. We'd fought before but he'd never hit me before this" Roger murmured, before swallowing and looking down at his lap, "I'm sorry, I was so horrible to you when you told me what he was like, and you were only trying to protect me" He said, his voice small again as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Brian could feel his blood boiling a little at the idea that Tim could do this to Roger, before taking a deep breath to calm himself down,

 

"Hey, that doesn't matter, alright? I was out of line and I shouldn't have said those things to you, you were totally within your rights to tell me to fuck off, okay?" He said, raising Roger's chin with his fingers so that he'd meet his eyes.

 

"Will you stay the night, and we can talk about this in the morning? I promise you're safe here, okay?" He told him, smiling a little when Roger nodded, "Come on, you look like you could use some sleep". He stood, taking Roger's hands and pulling him to his feet too. He brought him to his room and pulled out a pair of his pyjamas for Roger to wear to bed, even though he could tell just by looking at them that they'd be far too long on him. While Roger was changing, he brought the empty mugs out and put them in the dishwasher, topping up the cat's food bowls before going back in to see how Roger was doing. "You sure you don't mind me staying?" Roger asked, looking a little lost where he was standing in the middle of his room already wearing the pyjamas. It made Brian smile a little to see the sleeves were a couple of inches too long for him. "Of course I don't mind, don't be silly. Come on, get into bed" He told him.

 

Once Roger had gotten into the bed and pulled the covers up over himself, Brian sat on the edge of the bed, stroking a hand through Roger's hair yet again, "I'll be just out in the sitting room if you need anything, okay? Don't even think twice about waking me up for anything at all" He told him with a small smile, standing up when Roger nodded.

 

He shut the door behind himself as he went back into the sitting room, lying back where he'd been on the couch before Roger showed up. They could talk more about it in the morning. Right now, Brian wanted to go find Tim and tear him piece from piece for laying a hand on Roger, but he knew that'd only cause more harm than good, and he really didn't want to upset Roger any more than he already was right now.

 

-x-

 

When he next woke up, it was to a persistent knocking on the front door, and a heavy weight covering most of his legs. After blinking himself awake, he realised the weight was Roger, who must have come in at some point during the night and had curled up at the end of the couch. He could feel his heart melt a little at the realisation that Roger had slept in what he could only imagine was a quite uncomfortable position just because he wanted to be close to him.

 

Still, the knocking on the door wasn't stopping anytime soon. So he carefully slid his legs out from under Roger without waking him, before going out to answer the door.

 

It was Tim, and he looked furious.

 

"Where is he, Brian?" He asked, and Brian raised an eyebrow, folding his arms as he leaned against the doorframe, "I don't know what you're talking about?" He shrugged, and though he was itching to get his fingers around Tim's throat, he knew it'd only make things worse. "Don't play coy with me, Brian. I know Roger is here" Tim snapped.

 

"Why would he be here?" Brian asked, still trying his best to play it cool. "Well he wouldn't stop fucking talking about you last night, would he? Brian this, Brian that, Brian said this, Brian is wonderful so he is" Tim spat, and Brian raised his eyebrows in surprise, he and Roger hadn't even been on speaking terms before he'd showed up last night, "So when he ran off, who the fuck else was he gonna go to? Especially when I'm sure you've been telling him all sorts of stories about me and how much of a horrible prick I am. So I swear to God, Brian, tell him to come out here or I--" "Or you'll what, exactly?" Brian asked, still leaning against the doorframe.

 

"Even if I thought there was an ounce left of him that wanted to speak to you at the moment, there'd be no way I'm letting you anywhere near him right now. He's your boyfriend, you're supposed to love him and look after him, what the fuck would make you think it's alright to hit him like that? He was crying and shaking when he showed up here last night and he would barely tell me what had happened. So you can fuck off if you think I'm letting you in. You ruined my life when we were together and I'm not going to let you do the same to him. He's kind and gentle and sweet, and he doesn't deserve a prick like you making him think he's not. So I'm giving you one chance to fuck off away from my front door or I'm calling the police and they can have a look at Roger themselves" He snapped, not backing down at the glare Tim was giving him. Once he had started talking, he'd found it hard to stop, but he meant every word of it.

 

Eventually Tim rolled his eyes, scoffing under his breath, "Fine, whatever. He's good for nothing more than a half decent lay anyway, you'll get bored of him soon enough too" He snapped, and Brian's grabbed him by the front of his shirt, shoving him against the side of the porch, "I mean it, Tim. Fuck off and don't even think of coming back here" He spat, slamming the door after he'd spoken.

 

Fuck. He'd told himself he wouldn't let his anger get the better of him, but he had just seen red when Tim had spoken about Roger that way.

 

He went back into the sitting room with a sigh, biting his lip when he saw Roger sitting up looking at him, an expression on his face that reminded Brian of a kicked puppy, "Was that Tim?" He asked, his voice small. Brian sighed and sat next to Roger on the couch, putting an arm around his shoulders, "Yeah, I told him to get lost, I think he got the message" He told him and Roger nodded, leaning into his side slightly, "I heard. I heard all of it. Was that.. did you really mean all of that?" He asked, "Of course I did. He doesn't deserve you, and he's gonna look back one day and regret that he lost his chance with someone like you" He told him, rubbing his hand slightly up and down Roger's arm.

 

He couldn't bring himself to regret the fact that he'd shoved Tim, the arsehole had deserved it, but he did regret the fact that he'd signed up for a nine am class on Fridays, which meant that he had to be out the door in a little over an hour. "Are you in work today? I have to head to class shortly but if you need some company I could see you later?" He suggested, and Roger shrugged, "I'm not, but I told Clare I'd come over and see her later. She had her baby, so.. a little girl" He said with a small smile, before biting his lip, "I'm sorry, again. I should've listened to you--" "Hey, none of that, alright? Come on, get changed. I'll walk you back to your flat" He told him, getting up from the couch. He doubted Roger lived too far, but he didn't want to risk letting him go by himself in case Tim was still hanging around.

 

They left shortly after once Roger had changed and they'd had a cup of coffee. It turned out Roger's flat was only a ten minute walk from his and Brian was relieved to see that Tim was nowhere to be seen. "Right, I'd best be off, I'll be late, but uh.." He dropped his bag from his shoulder and searched through it until he found a pen and a notebook, tearing a sheet of paper from the book, "Here's my number, don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, alright? If you just want to talk even. If you don't want to either though, that's fine too. Take whatever space you need" He told him with a small smile, handing the paper over to him. He knew that when he and Tim had broken up he hadn't exactly wanted his friends fussing over him, he'd wanted to be just left alone.

 

Roger took the paper, glancing at it for a moment before looking back up at Brian. Before Brian knew it, Roger took his face in his hands and leaned up on his tiptoes, pressing their lips together. He was too stunned to react for a second, but it didn't take long before he melted into the kiss, pulling Roger slightly closer to him by his hips, while Roger wound his arms properly around Brian's neck.

 

Roger kissed exactly how Brian had expected him to, soft and sweet but full of passion, and with the promise of something dirtier to come.

 

Eventually he pulled back slightly - just enough to give him space to breathe - and huffed out a quiet laugh, resting his forehead against Roger's, "Well, that was.." "Skip your class, come inside" Roger breathed against his lips, raising up on his toes for a moment to press their lips together again. Brian pulled away properly after a minute, smiling down at Roger, "Hey, slow down. I'm not going anywhere" He told him, running his fingers through blonde hair, "Except for class, I do need to get to that, but I'll call you later, alright?"

 

At Roger's slight pout he couldn't help tipping his chin up with his fingers and leaning down to kiss him again, running his tongue lightly along the seam of Roger's lips, "I want this, okay? I want you. I'm not making an escape attempt here" He reassured him, and was a little happier leaving once he saw the smile on Roger's face. He pulled the younger man against his chest, smiling when he felt Roger press his nose against the hollow of his throat, "I really do need to go, just take it easy for the day, alright?" He told him with a smile.

 

"Thank you" Was all Roger said before he let go of Brian, giving him a small wave and a smile over his shoulder as he let himself into his flat.

 

Brian couldn't help the slight bounce in his step as he headed back towards the university campus, trying his best not to grin like an idiot.

 

-x-

 

It was late that evening when he finally got back to the flat. His day had been busier than he'd been expecting it to be, between his classes and trying to finish off an assignment that was due that he'd completely forgotten about. He'd managed to give Roger a call during his lunch break, the younger man had been on his way over to his sisters and Brian simply smiled as he listened to Roger telling him all about his new niece. It was sweet really. He'd had to hang up eventually though, once Roger had reassured him that he really was alright.

 

So he'd stopped off at the supermarket on the way home to pick up some dinner for Fred and himself, balancing the shopping bag on his shoulder as well as his book bag, "Fred, you in?" He called as he shut the door, dropping his keys in the dish they had on the hall table. Freddie stuck his head around the door of the sitting room, "In here, darling"

 

Brian put the food away in the kitchen before joining Freddie in the sitting room, kicking off his shoes once he had sat down, "Just so you know, if you and Roger fucked on this couch last night then you're paying the entire cost of the new one I'm making you buy" Fred told him, not looking up from the papers he was looking over - for which Brian was glad because it meant he couldn't see the blush that had spread over his face,

 

"I- we didn't!" He squeaked, and Freddie shot a grin in his direction, "Well you two looked very cosy here last night when I got in" He said and Brian shook his head, "It's not that.. He and Tim had a fight last night, and- and Tim hit him. He showed up here in the middle of the night in tears with a black eye, he kept trying to apologise saying he should've listened when I told him Tim was an arsehole. I slept on the couch and let him take my bed but I guess he came in here when I was asleep" He explained, noticing how the grin had dropped from Freddie's face and had been replaced with a more murderous look,

 

"And where is he now? Did he go back to Tim after all that?" He asked, and Brian shook his head, "No, Tim came here this morning but I told him to fuck off. I walked Roger back to his flat after we talked and uh, he kissed me" He admitted with a smile and Freddie grinned again, "Oh, Brian! I'm so happy for you, dear!" Freddie told him, dropping onto the couch beside Brian and planting a kiss on his cheek, grinning when Brian playfully pushed him off of him,

 

"Really, I am. And I'm glad you stood up to Tim"

 

"Yeah, me too"

 

-x-

 

"What've you done to yourself now?" Roger asked, looking up at Brian from his desk when the taller man walked into the waiting room of the doctor's practice. Before, Brian had been worrying about what would happen when he'd finished seeing John, because it meant he wouldn't have any excuse to come and see Roger anymore. But now? He'd decided he didn't need an excuse,

 

"Nothing, I just came to see you, is that a problem?" He asked with a small smile. He hadn't seen Roger again since he'd kissed him outside his flat, since Roger had stayed in his sisters that night and Brian had been busy with school again the day after that, but they had spoken on the phone a couple of times.

 

Roger smiled, catching his lower lip between his teeth as he leaned forward on his elbows on the desk. Brian had to admire him for a moment, he still wasn't sure why this beautiful creature would have any sort of interest in him, but apparently he did.

 

"Not at all, I'm happy to see you" He told him with a smile, "In fact, now that you're here. I was wondering is that drink you asked about still on offer?" He asked, looking up at him. Brian had forgotten about that, to be fair. The last couple of days he'd just been first worrying about Roger and then thinking about the fact that he'd kissed him - he hadn't exactly thought about the fact that Roger might want to come on a date with him now after this development, "Yeah, course it is. How about Friday night?" He asked and Roger thought for a second before nodding, "Yeah, Friday's perfect. Pick me up at eight?"

 

-x-

 

"Dear, you look fine. I'm sure Roger will eat you up no matter what you're wearing anyway" Freddie told him, watching Brian change yet again from where he was sat on Brian's bed.

 

It was finally Friday and Brian was struggling to find an outfit to wear. They had agreed on a pub not far from both of their flats, that wasn't exactly a dive bar but that wasn't a five star place either. It looked cosy. Well that was if Brian was managed to get dressed before eight o'clock. So far he'd been through four or five different outfits, and was currently wearing a white shirt tucked into a pair of dark skinny jeans, "What if it's too casual though, what if he's dressed up?" He asked, and Freddie rolled his eyes.

 

"I'm sure he won't give a fuck. Besides, if you play your cards right tonight then hopefully neither of you will end up wearing anything by the end of the night" He shrugged, and now it was Brian's turn to roll his eyes. Then again, just because that hadn't been on his mind, didn't mean Freddie was wrong. He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, biting his lip, "D'you think it's too quick maybe? If things do head in that direction tonight?" He asked, not meeting Freddie's eyes until he heard the drawer of his nightstand being opened, "Not at all, and don't worry; I've already made sure you're stocked up with all the essentials, and I'm staying over at John's place tonight" He told Brian with a wink, and Brian couldn't help but smile.

 

Freddie was a pain in the arse sometimes but Brian really was grateful for his best friend.

 

-x-

 

He dragged his fingers through his hair as he stood at the door of Roger's flat, trying to tame it a little as he waited on the younger man to come out. He'd had the flat iron out before he'd left and Freddie had almost tackled him to the floor when he saw. In all fairness, he wasn't very good at using it and more often than not - it usually ended up looking worse than before he'd started. So he'd agreed to just leave it alone.

 

"Brian! I'll be down in a second" Roger called from the window above Brian's head, stubbing out the cigarette he was holding on the edge of the windowsill. He appeared at the door a moment later, locking it behind him before turning to Brian with a smile, "Hi" He murmured with a sweet smile, and Brian couldn't help leaning down to press a quick kiss to his lips. He couldn't help it, Roger looked fantastic in his white short sleeved shirt and leather trousers. "Hi, uh.. nice to see you" He murmured, and Roger smiled and rolled his eyes, taking his hand and pulling him out of the driveway.

 

-x-

 

The pub wasn't too long away and it was only a few minutes later that they were sat at a table with their drinks, Roger holding a gin and tonic while Brian had settled on Guinness. Roger hadn't let go of his hand the entire walk to the pub and it was nice really.

 

"So what've you been up to since I last saw you?" Roger asked, resting his chin in his hand as he looked across the table at Brian. It had been a good few days since he'd last seen Roger, the day that he'd gone to the practice and they'd agreed to go for a drink. Still, he hadn't been up to a whole lot, "Not much, really. Just been studying and the- what's that?" He asked, reaching over to take Roger's hand and turning it around in his hand. On the inside of Roger's forearm was a tattoo of a drum-kit, very tiny and simple, but it still suited him.

 

"Oh yeah, I play drums. Been playing since I was a kid, so I got this a couple years ago" He explained with a smile, and Brian raised his eyebrows, "You're a drummer? Fred and I have been looking for someone to play in our band for weeks now, John finally agreed to be our bassist but we haven't been able to find a drummer that fit in well" He told him. They'd spent so long looking for someone and Roger had been pretty much under their nose the entire time, "Yeah, I'd love to jam with you guys some time and see if we're any good" He said with a grin, and Brian smiled back at him in response.

 

"Brian, can I ask you something?" Roger asked, biting his lip as he looked over at Brian who nodded, "What happened with you and Tim? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want, I'm just.. curious I guess" He shrugged.

 

Brian sighed a little, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well he never hit me. He was good to me at first, we were in Smile together and he was my best friend, it just sort of felt natural when we got together. And like I said, he was good to me. But I don't know, things just sort of changed. He was manipulative without being too obvious about it, he'd make little comments about how I dressed and my weight, things like that.-

 

"He was very good at making me believe that he was doing me a favour, I guess, by being with me. That nobody else would want me. I lost a shit tonne of weight, I collapsed at one point because I was so severely underweight, and he had me thinking that it was my own fault, that I was putting this burden on him by needing him to look after me. He never laid a hand on me but I was miserable, and I couldn't find it in me to leave. It was only when we were with friends this one time and he made some comment in front of Freddie, and Fred tore into him for how he treated me. It obviously turned into a massive argument when we got home that night about how I let my friends speak to him like that, and he lost his temper and put his fist through the wall. I was miserable and felt worthless when I was with him but that was the first time I'd ever felt afraid in my own home. So I decided enough was enough, I stayed at Fred's that night, then the next day we picked up my stuff and I moved in with Freddie, and that was that" He explained, biting his lip gently.

 

It hurt a litte to talk about it, of course it did, but he knew Roger had been through the same thing with him so he felt a little as though he owed him an explanation. Roger simply smiled sadly, reaching across the table to take his hand, squeezing it gently in his own.

 

-x-

 

They talked about everything and nothing, about their families and their studies. Brian had admitted that even though he'd secured a PhD in astrophysics for when he had finished his degree, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go ahead with it. Lately his head had been more with the band, and he'd been thinking about quitting his studies altogether to focus more on it.

 

He was both a little surprised and also not surprised at all that he and Roger just clicked, since this was the first real chance they'd had to just talk and be with each other - not counting the time Roger had shown up at his flat after the whole thing with Tim. Brian was smitten, to say the least. Before they knew it the pub was closing and they finished off the drinks that they had before leaving, shrugging into their jackets.

 

He wasn't drunk exactly - pleasantly buzzed more like it - but he supposed he was a little drunk on Roger's company, and he didn't hesitate before taking Roger's hand as they walked back. They got to Brian's flat first and he bit his lip as they stood outside, Brian toying with Roger's fingers, "D'you want to come in?" He asked, looking across at the younger man. He wasn't quite ready for the night to be over, and it was there in the back of his mind what Freddie had said about staying in John's place tonight.

 

"Yeah, I'd like that"

 

Roger agreed, and Brian let them in, locking the door behind them before turning back to Roger, "Do you want another drink maybe? Or coff--"

 

He was cut off by Roger pulling him towards him by the front of his shirt, pressing their lips together. Brian wasn't as stunned as he was the first time Roger had kissed him, and he wasted no time in kissing him back, putting his hands on Roger's hips as he pressed him back against the wall, pressing his own body against the shorter one in front of him, "I'm not really in the mood of coffee, but there is something else I'd like" Roger murmured, his voice slightly husky in his throat.

 

At that, Brian bent down slightly to put his arms under Roger's thighs and hoisted him up against the wall, biting softly at the curve of Roger's jaw when the blonde wrapped his legs around his waist, "This is alright?" He asked quietly, looking up at Roger when he took his face in his hands, "It's more than okay, Bri. You've no idea how much I've wanted this" He murmured and Brian leaned up to kiss him again, shuddering slightly at the feeling of Roger's tongue sliding against his.

 

He didn't waste much more time in carrying Roger to his room, kicking the door shut behind him before dropping Roger on the bed and crawling up the length of the bed to meet him, "You're still wearing an awful lot of clothes" Roger remarked with a grin as he shrugged out of his own shirt, undoing the buttons of Brian's after he'd finished. Brian had always been a little self conscious of his own body, he was still too skinny, his limbs slightly too long, but with the way Roger was looking at him after he'd pulled his shirt off - he could barely find it in himself to be embarrassed.

 

"You're beautiful" He breathed, trailing his lips from Roger's mouth yet again down to his neck where he sucked a dark bruise into the sharp collarbone there. Roger whined low in his throat in response, bucking his hips up slightly to meet Brian's who sucked in a sharp breath at the action,

 

"I'm thinking you really need to get naked, like right now" Roger told him and he nodded, backing off slightly to undo the button and zipper of his jeans while Roger peeled himself out of his own leather trousers. He wasn't sure if he was surprised or not to see that Roger wasn't wearing underwear underneath.

 

Once he had completely undressed, he pressed himself against Roger again, barely able to hold back a moan as Roger hitched a leg up around his waist again, "What do you want, Rog?" He asked as he pressed his face into Roger's neck again, pressing a wet kiss to the hollow of his throat, "God, everything. Can I ride you?" He asked, dragging his blunt nails down the length of Brian's back who shivered in response.

 

Brian leaned up slightly on his elbow to rummage in the drawer of his nightstand, where - as Freddie had promised - he found condoms and a bottle of lube. He took a moment to just admire Roger, noticing the way his chest heaved with his heavy breaths and how he was flushed all the way down to his neck, "I swear to God, Bri, if you don't fuck me-" He started, leaning up to press a kiss against Brian's lips again before pushing the older man down on the bed, moving to straddle Brian's hips instead.

 

Brian unclicked the bottle of lube and squirted some onto his fingers, reaching around behind Roger. He bit his lip as he pressed a finger into him, noticing the way Roger's eyes closed as his mouth dropped open, "Hey, look at me" He breathed, giving the younger man a grin once he had opened his blue eyes again, "God, Brian, that feels so good" Roger murmured, pressing back against Brian's fingers.

 

He took his time preparing Roger, who started getting impatient after three fingers, "I'm ready, c'mon" He told him and Brian nodded, wiping his hand on the sheets before quickly rolling the condom on and slicking himself up. He put his hands on Roger's hips, letting the other man control the pace as he sank down onto Brian's cock, "Fuck, you feel so good, Bri. Wanted this so much, you've got no idea" He whined, letting his head drop back once he had sunk down fully, giving himself a moment to get used to the feeling.

 

"Me too, Rog. Wanted you so badly" He murmured, and the two simply looked into each others eyes for a moment before Roger started to move, lifting himself slightly before dropping back down. Brian gasped, digging his fingers into Roger's hips. It didn't take long for the two to find a rhythm, Roger lifting and dropping his hips down to meet Brian's who bucked his hips up whenever Roger's came down. "I'm not gonna last long, Rog" He murmured, wrapping his arms around Roger's waist before turning them over again so that Roger was underneath him again.

 

He could feel Roger's hands twined into his hair as he moved his hips and he was pulled back down into another kiss, although at this point they were more just panting into each others mouths. Brian could feel the heat curling in his lower back, and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He wrapped a hand around Roger's cock as he dragged his tongue across the collarbone he had marked earlier, tasting salt on the skin there, "Fuck, Brian I'm so close" Roger panted, his head pressed back into the pillow. It wasn't much longer before Roger came, a husky groan ripped from his throat as he did - and the sound of it was enough to drag Brian over the edge too, who stilled as he spilled into the condom.

 

The two simply lay there for a moment as they tried to catch their breaths, Roger's arms still draped around his neck, "Are you alright, you're shaking?" He asked, tipping Brian's face up to look him in the eye. Brian hadn't realised he was shaking until Roger had brought it to his attention and he nodded, leaning down to kiss him softly again, "Yeah, I'm great actually" He murmured with a small smile, getting one in response from Roger who brushed his fingers through Brian's unruly curls, "I'd be more than happy if that became a regular occurrence" He told him, and Brian couldn't help but smile, "That'd be alright with me too" He grinned.

 

He got up shortly after to grab a wet wash cloth, cleaning the two of them up a little before he got back into bed, wrapping his arms around Roger's middle as he pressed his face to the back of his neck. Roger shuffled back slightly against him in response, letting his legs tangle with Brian's.

 

-x-

 

Roger was still asleep the next morning when Brian woke up, and he could tell that it was still early by how the room was still mostly dark. He felt totally at ease, there was nowhere right now that he'd rather be. He took a moment to simply look at Roger, noticing how his face was smoothed out in sleep, a line across his cheek where he'd slept on a crease in the pillow. His roots were slightly darker than the lengths of his blonde hair, a sandy blonde colour with a reddish tinge to it that lead Brian to conclusion that Roger must bleach his hair. He was beautiful really, even with his blue eyes hidden behind closed eyelids, "How did I get so lucky?" He murmured to himself, running his fingers gently through Roger's blonde locks.

 

He noticed the dark bruise blooming on his collarbone and he smiled a little at the memory of last night, thinking back to how Roger had said he wanted this to be a regular occurrence. Brian couldn't exactly say he had any complaints about that.

 

He got up to use the toilet after a minute, brushing his teeth while he was out there before returning to the bedroom to find Roger awake, sitting up against the headboard. He opened his mouth to say good morning, but was interrupted by Roger speaking first,

 

"I think I'm falling in love with you" Brian simply stood in the doorway for a moment, trying to wrap his brain around what Roger had said. Roger ran his fingers through his hair, looking away from Brian slightly to hide the blush that had spread over his face, "I'm sorry, that was.. a little forward, I guess. Forget I said anything" He muttered and Brian shook his head, joining Roger on the bed again, "I don't want to. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met, inside and out, and I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone like you could fall in love with me" He told him and Roger's lips quirked up a slight smile, although his cheeks were still pink, "I think I'm falling in love with you too" He murmured, pulling Roger in for a quick kiss, "I think I fell in love with you as soon as I walked into that waiting room" He admitted.

 

He'd certainly noticed how beautiful Roger was then, he just hadn't been prepared for how much he'd love his personality too.

 

"C'mon, I could use a cup of coffee"

 

-x-

 

They changed after a quick shower where Brian had joined Roger in the cramped shower stall, because there was no reason now that he couldn't. They didn't spend too long in there though since the stall was just about big enough for one person - let alone two. There'd barely been enough space for Brian to get down on his knees - although he managed. They quickly dressed after that, Roger pulling back on his clothes he'd worn the night before while Brian changed into a t-shirt he'd pulled from one of his drawers and a pair of jeans. They headed into the kitchen to grab breakfast to find that Freddie and John had arrived back to the flat sometime that morning,

 

"Well, what have we here?" Freddie asked with a grin as he got up from the table, draping an arm around Roger's shoulders, "I don't believe we've officially met, darling. Although I know you know John" He shrugged, waving a hand in John's direction who smiled and nodded at Roger, "Coffee, Rog?" He asked.

 

Once they had gotten their coffee, Brian stood next to John, leaning against the counter as he watched Freddie and Roger chatting. He had told Freddie that Roger played drums and now the two were deep in a conversation about music, Freddie telling Roger about some of the songs he had written for Queen,

 

"Alright?" John asked, nudging Brian gently with his elbow. Brian nodded and smiled, glancing down at the cup of coffee he was holding between his hands, "Yeah, I'm more than alright. He uh, he told me he's falling in love with me" He admitted, and he couldn't help the smile spreading over his face at the thought. John smiled too, looking over at Brian, "I'm happy for you. We both are, me and Fred. He's a good guy, Roger is, he'll be good for you" He told him.

 

Brian smiled, winking at Roger when he caught his eye across the table. Maybe things wouldn't run as smoothly all the time, and he was sure there'd be a lot of ups and downs. But for right now, as he watched Roger talking to Freddie, knowing in his heart that he and Roger loved each other - he thought that maybe, this would be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading this guys! It's the first work I've written that I've decided to upload so please be gentle with me. Just a couple of notes, 
> 
> 1\. Title is from Love Chronicles, by Al Stewart
> 
> 2.This wasn't beta read at all so any mistakes are all my own fault
> 
> 3\. This takes place in modern day, but I'm imagining the band as they were in 1976 (but feel free to imagine Borhap Brian and Roger too!)
> 
> 4\. I'm so so bad at writing smut so I apologise for that 
> 
> 5\. For the sake of this fic, Tim is a dickhole, but I'm sure he's not in real life so there's that 
> 
> Thanks again for reading!! :)


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